This K-factor calculator will assist you in finding the K-factor for sheet metal. Sheet metal is the building block of structures, from forming the body of automobiles to the skin of aircraft wings. The roofs on the house (cf. roofing calculator) or the geyser that supplies water for your warm showers and baths all use sheet metal for the fabrication process. Other applications of sheet metal include piping, medical equipment, machine components, and transformers used in power transmission.
The K factor is the most important and elusive variable of bending, because it varies both as a function of the material and according to parameters such as angle and tooling. The K factor is defined as the ratio between the material thickness (T) and the neutral fibre axis (t), i.e. the part of the material that bends without being compressed nor elongated.